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Objective: Saffron is the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. which has various therapeutic properties in addition to its use as a spice. More than 80% of the world present production of saffron which is about 190 tons is produced in Iran. To compare the quality of saffron' from different parts of the world, researcher used one sample from each country. Since cultivation of saffron is done in different geographical areas of Iran, it seems that the results of these studies, using only one sample of Iranian saffron, are not consistent with the scientific and statistical rules. More over the results of therapeutical studies using saffron extracts from different sources with different concentrations of effective elements would not give reproducible results. As an affirmative reason, here we compared the saffron’s important components, crocin, picrocrocin and safranal, from different packages produced by some companies. Materials and Methods: Five certified saffron packages, prepared by different companies named: Ehteshamiyeh, Tarvand, Abbaszadeh, Sabagh and Novin-Saffron were analyzed using HPLC with an UV/Vis detector. To avoid the conflict of inerest, these samples were randomly labeled as 1 to 5. Results: Results indicated that all of the samples contained these ingredients at the standard levels, but the highest level of crocin as a carotenoid was seen in the sample 3, and sample 1 and 2 contained the highest concentrations of monoterpene aldehydes, picrocrocin and safranal, respectively. Conclusion: According to the obtained results and the vast area under the saffron cultivation with various climates, it is confirmed that one sample of saffron is not a measure of all of the Iranian saffron. Our research is continuing.

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Introduction: Amyloid beta (Aβ) is the major constituent of harmful plaques in the Alzheimer’s patients. Thus, study of Aβ and understanding its related molecular and cellular mechanisms is essential for diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. This study introduces a rapid, simple, and cost-effective technique for production and purification of this peptide, utilizing the expression of Aβ gene within bacterial system.
Materials and methods: Aβ gene was synthesized and transferred into the expression vector pET26b. After induction by Lactose and  24 hours of incubation for Aβ expression the cell sediment was analyzed for presence of recombinant peptide using SDS-PAGE and Western blot.  Then the purification of recombinant peptide was carried using nickel chloride affinity chromatography. Characterization of purified Aβ was performed by evaluating cell cytotoxicity in 25 µM and 50 µM concentrations using MTT assay on Alzheimer cell line model SH-SY5Y.
Results: Colony PCR and sequencing results showed the correct insertion of Aβ coding fragment into the expression vector. Presence of bands with the expected size in the results of SDS PAGE and western blot had confirmed successful expression of his-tagged recombinant peptide. MTT assay results showed the purified peptide has respectively 30 and 50% cytotoxicity for 25 µM and 50 µM concentrations.
Discussion: Production of amyloid beta peptide in bacterial hosts seems to be favorable. Obtaining Aβ peptide in soluble phase is an important advantage of this study. Hence according to toxicity of the purified peptide, it can be utilized for cell line treatments and further researches on Alzheimer disease.
 

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Objective: Various approaches have been offered for resolution of pain resulting from spinal cord injuries. One approach is the use of herbal and natural products. In the present research, as a preliminary study, we investigate the effect of crocin on chronic pain induced by contusion in the rat spinal cord (SCI). Methods: We randomly divided female Wistar rats into five groups. Groups I and II were contused at the L1 level and immediately treated with crocin (50 mg/kg). These groups were sacrificed after 2 hours and 1 week, respectively. The remaining three groups consisted of group III (control group), group IV (treated with crocin and no contusion), and group V (the contused group that underwent no treatment). Groups III-V were sacrificed after one week. The mechanical behavioral test that used Von Frey hairs; the thermal behavioral test that used a hot-plate and the locomotor recovery test with Basso, Beattie and Bresnahn (BBB) scoring were conducted daily to evaluate the extent of injury and recovery of the rats. The calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) was determined in the animals' plasma by the ELISA kit. Results: The results showed a significant increase in plasma CGRP of contused rats that significantly reduced following crocin treatment. The behavioral tests were not changed significantly due to this treatment. Conclusion: The present study shows the beneficial effects of crocin treatment that may occur by decreasing CGRP on chronic pain induced by SCI. This project is continuing using higher dose of crocin for longer time.

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Objective: Crocin, the carotenoid isolated from saffron, has numerous medicinal properties which include anticancer and antioxidant activities. Some antioxidants, such as carotenoids, can act as pro-oxidants at higher dosages and therefore induce tissue damage. In this situation antioxidant defense systems in the liver activate to prevent tissue damage. This study investigates the possible toxic effects of crocin on the liver of normal rats. Methods: Normal rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 was treated with normal saline as the control and groups 2 to 4 were treated different doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg crocin intraperitoneally once a week for four weeks. Animals were killed one week after the last injection. Serum profile of the rats that included ALT, AST, ALP, urea, uric acid and creatinine, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT and GPx), GSH content, and lipid and protein oxidation by measurement of MDA and protein carbonyl levels were assessed in the liver. In addition, we conducted histopathological examinations of the liver specimens. Results: We studied different crocin concentrations that have been used to treat various diseases. There were no significant changes in serum parameters, GSH, MDA, protein carbonyls and activities of CAT and SOD at the different crocin concentrations. Histopathological examination did not show any changes in the liver. Only the higher dose (200 mg/kg) decreased GPx activity which might be reversible over the long-term. Conclusion: Crocin, at the studied doses showed no toxic effects on the rat liver.

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Abstract
Free radicals cause many diseases in human. Antioxidants reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by neutralizing free radicals and on the other hand, prevent progression of cancer. The natural antioxidant enhances antioxidant properties of plasma to prevent diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Plants are a rich source of secondary compounds, which are the most important natural antioxidants.
In this study, Fumaria vaillanti aqueous, methanol and ethanol extracts were used to determine the anticancer effect of extracts on Breast Cancer Cells Lines BT-474, MDA-MB_231 after 24, 48 and 72h.
The highest percentage of cell death, according to the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) technique, has been reported in the aqueous extract on MDA-MB-231 cells after 72 hours at with IC₅₀ of 2 μg / ml.
The results of this study indicate that Fumaria vaillanti shows a significant antioxidant and cell toxicity effect and full potential of extracts can be realized by further studies on animal models and subsequent trials.
 

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Objective: Crocin, an important saffron ingredient, showed anticancer activity in a variety of cancer types, particularly breast cancer. However, little information is available on the mechanism of its action. Previous studies indicate apoptosis induction by crocin in some cancer cells. This study aims to investigate the effect of crocin on the MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell line in order to investigate its effect on caspase 9 (Cas9) and cleaved-Cas9, expression and splicing of XBP1, and accumulation of LC3-II.
Methods: We used the MTT assay to investigate the cytotoxic effect of crocin on MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. Next, Cas9 and cleaved-Cas9 levels were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Splicing of XBP1 mRNA and expression of the spliced protein (XBP1s) was investigated by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The accumulation of LC3-II was also evaluated by Western blot. The obtained results were analyzed and reported by Image J software.
Results: The results showed a time and dose-dependent cytotoxic effect of crocin in MDA-MB-468 cells. The expression of Cas9 and its cleavage, therefore, the ratio of cleaved-Cas9/Cas9 significantly increased. Crocin treatment led to a noticeable increase in splicing of XBP1 mRNA, expression of XBP1s, accumulation of LC3-II, and increased the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio in these cells.
Conclusion: The data have shown induction of apoptosis in these breast cancer cell lines after crocin treatment. Because of the observed changes in UPR markers and autophagy, it seems that these pathways are possibly involved in this process and in intracellular regulations.

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The new Coronavirus, which was named SARS-CoV-2 is one of the members of the Coronavirus family, which induces Covid-19 or acute respiratory infection. This virus was firstly known in 2019 in Wuhan, China; and then, rapidly propagated around the world. In this review, we will present the structure and function of the Spike (S) protein in this virus and its receptors on the host cells. In addition to ACE2, which was initially identified as the cell surface receptor of this virus, it was observed that CD147 and GRP 78 also act as the receptors on host cells. Also, based on the mechanism of action, a brief introduction will present the drugs used to treat this Coronavirus. The drugs that target S protein, Proteinases; RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, helicases, or structural lipids of the virus membrane. In addition, the proposed natural products which are currently recommended as supplements are discussed. For example, flavonoids, polyphenols, and polar compounds are substances whose antiviral effects against Coronavirus have been studied and demonstrated. In conclusion, since the effective drug to eradicate this virus is not yet known, it seems that according to the structural characteristics and mechanism of action, using natural compounds as a complementary or preventive medicine will be useful to inhibit or delay the entrance, proliferation, and/ or infectivity of the virus.